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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Mrs. Lawrence decide to do?

2. What does Alexandra think is unfair?

3. What is one thing Alexandra believes?

4. What does Alexandra believe about her future?

5. About what is the Dowager Duchess surprised?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Alexandra change physically over the next few months?

2. How does Mrs. Lawrence see this episode as an opportunity?

3. Who is the Dowager Duchess of Hawthorne and how does she react to Jodan's tale from the night before?

4. Where does Alexandra go right after the conversation with her mother about Will Helmsley?

5. What does Jordan say about women when he hears Lady's Catherine's indifference?

6. How does Alexandra compare Jordan and herself?

7. What does Jordan decide about having sex with Alexandra?

8. How do the attackers react to Alexandra, and what does she do?

9. What does Sir Roderick Carstairs say in response to Leticia Bildrup's opinion about Elizabeth Grangerfield?

10. What happens nine years later that makes Jordan decide to stop having sexual relations with married women?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Plots are sometimes said to be either character-driven or action-driven. Discuss the following:

1. What do you think it means to say that a plot is character driven? Action driven?

2. How do you think a plot differs if it is character driven versus action driven?

3. Which type of plot do you find more interesting? Why?

4. Do you think Something Wonderful is more character-driven or action-driven? Or balanced between the two? Explain.

Essay Topic 2

Something Wonderful is an historical romance. Discuss the following:

1. Define the word "genre" in the context of literary criticism.

2. Why do you think fiction is categorized by genre?

3. Does it help to know how a book is categorized as to its genre before reading it? Explain.

4. Modern historical romance is often considered inferior to what are considered "the classics." Why do you think this is so? Do you believe a book such as Something Wonderful is inferior to something such as A Tale of Two Cities? Explain.

5. What is your favorite genre and why.

Essay Topic 3

Gossip and rumors are found throughout Something Wonderful. Discuss the following:

1. What is one piece of gossip that you think is started maliciously? Who starts it? Why? Does it end up harming the person it is intended to harm? Why or why not? What effect does the gossip have on the person the gossip is about? What effect does the gossip have on one other character?

2. What is one piece of gossip that you think is started intentionally to help someone? Who starts it? Why? Does it end up helping or harming the person it is intended to help? Explain. What effect does the gossip have on the person the gossip is about? What effect does the gossip have on one other character?

3. Trace and analyze the theme of gossip as it is woven throughout Something Wonderful. Is the gossip always harmful? What are the motivations of those who start and perpetuate the gossip? What are the effects of the gossip?

4. Why do you think people gossip?

(see the answer keys)

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